The RVC project team recommends that the districts use their existing email provider, Microsoft Outlook. Using the existing email client adds no cost to the project, and hosting and training is already accounted for.
The RVC project team recommends that the districts utilize Free Forums as the environment for asynchronous interaction. Free Forums is an forum board, where teachers, students, and other RVC users can communicate asynchronously in discussion threads. Free Forums was selected due to its reliability, scalability, and versatility.
The Free Forums service offers the following features:
Security and spam protection
Variety of different user profiles including admin, moderator, guests and other customizable roles
Ability to limit forum registration and approve members for privacy purposes
Assortment of user analytics
Supports seven social-networking sites including Facebook and Twitter
Easy-to-use text editor with many useful features including emoticons and spell check
Ability to embed video, images, and other files into postings
Ability to create and include customizable polls
Private and instant messaging and calendar features
Only free forum to offer mobile applications for Android and iPhone
Offers customizable sub-domain names
User support available 24/7
Free Forums is remotely hosted and requires no hosting from the districts. The free version does include banner advertisements, but should the districts choose there are also paid tiers without advertisements. Free Forums pricing tiers are located here.The project team recommends purchasing the $7 for 50,000 ad-free page views per month plan. It is further recommended that 50 licenses for ad-free Free Forums be purchased for instructors, support staff, and other users. The districts should consider increasing the number of page views as the RVC grows. For teachers and support staff, Free Forums is expected to require approximately one, six-hour workshop for initial training as well as intermittent refresher training. Students should also be provided with a short training tutorial on how to use Free Forums.
The RVC project team recommends that the district utilize the dynamic teleconferencing program WebEx from Cisco. WebEx is recommended for its versatility, reliability, and proven use in e-learning. Tremblay (2006) describes the following uses for WebEx in e-learning: “focus group energy… permit real-time interaction… and provide a familiar instructional environment that mimic many positive features found in the traditional classroom environment” (para. 3). Additional information can be found by visiting WebEx for Education
WebEx offers the follow features:
On-demand audio and visual conferencing
File and application sharing
Instant messaging
Interactive whiteboard
Option to record and archive meetings for future reference
Users can attend using computer with Internet and headset or call in using a telephone
Meetings can be password-protected to ensure privacy
Available as a mobile application for Android, iPhone, Blackberry, and other smart mobile devices
WebEx has several pricing tiers that may be viewed here, and the tiers can be used in different ways. For example, up to three users may participate using the basic, free version, and this free service is recommended for student-student interaction such as small group work. The project team recommends purchasing ten licenses of the WebEx Premium 25, which costs $49 per month and allows nine hosts per license and 25 participants per meeting for instructors, support staff, and other users. WebEx Premium 25 is recommended for use for student-teacher interaction and other large group synchronous communication. Further, for maximum benefits of the program, it is recommended that the RVC purchase and provide headsets and/or web cameras for all users. This is expected to cost approximately $10 per user, with 350 planned users. Technology training should also be provided. The project team recommends at least a three-hour initial training with intermittent refresher training for teachers and support staff and a short training tutorial for student users.
(Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)
Tremblay, R. (2006, June). Best practices and collaborative software in online teaching. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 7(1). Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/
ASYNCHRONOUS ENVIRONMENTS
Email
The RVC project team recommends that the districts use their existing email provider, Microsoft Outlook.Using the existing email client adds no cost to the project, and hosting and training is already accounted for.
The RVC project team recommends that the districts utilize Free Forums as the environment for asynchronous interaction.
Free Forums is an forum board, where teachers, students, and other RVC users can communicate asynchronously in discussion threads.
Free Forums was selected due to its reliability, scalability, and versatility.
The Free Forums service offers the following features:
Free Forums is remotely hosted and requires no hosting from the districts. The free version does include banner advertisements, but should the districts choose there are also paid tiers without advertisements. Free Forums pricing tiers are located here.The project team recommends purchasing the $7 for 50,000 ad-free page views per month plan. It is further recommended that 50 licenses for ad-free Free Forums be purchased for instructors, support staff, and other users. The districts should consider increasing the number of page views as the RVC grows. For teachers and support staff, Free Forums is expected to require approximately one, six-hour workshop for initial training as well as intermittent refresher training. Students should also be provided with a short training tutorial on how to use Free Forums.
A review of Free Forums can be found here
SYNCHRONOUS ENVIRONMENT
The RVC project team recommends that the district utilize the dynamic teleconferencing program WebEx from Cisco.
WebEx is recommended for its versatility, reliability, and proven use in e-learning. Tremblay (2006) describes the following uses for WebEx in e-learning: “focus group energy… permit real-time interaction… and provide a familiar instructional environment that mimic many positive features found in the traditional classroom environment” (para. 3). Additional information can be found by visiting WebEx for Education
WebEx offers the follow features:
WebEx has several pricing tiers that may be viewed here, and the tiers can be used in different ways.
For example, up to three users may participate using the basic, free version, and this free service is recommended for student-student interaction such as small group work. The project team recommends purchasing ten licenses of the WebEx Premium 25, which costs $49 per month and allows nine hosts per license and 25 participants per meeting for instructors, support staff, and other users. WebEx Premium 25 is recommended for use for student-teacher interaction and other large group synchronous communication. Further, for maximum benefits of the program, it is recommended that the RVC purchase and provide headsets and/or web cameras for all users. This is expected to cost approximately $10 per user, with 350 planned users. Technology training should also be provided. The project team recommends at least a three-hour initial training with intermittent refresher training for teachers and support staff and a short training tutorial for student users.
(Image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)
Tremblay, R. (2006, June). Best practices and collaborative software in online teaching. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 7(1). Retrieved from
http://www.irrodl.org/
TechSmith. (2012). Purchase Camtasia Studio. Retrieved from https://store.techsmith.com/order/camtasiastudio.asp